Of the St. Louis American
For the landmark 30th Anniversary season of the St. Louis Black Repertory Company, recognized as the best theater troupe of its kind in the country, what better production to usher in the mainstage celebration than the musical that many believe solidified the company’s status as a powerhouse with respect to musical theatre?
Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a Black Rep mainstay. The lively music, shiny costumes and downright good-time feeling the production evokes keeps Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the top of many of the company’s old faithful’s all-time favorites.
Founder and Producing Director Ron Himes usually has the master’s touch when it comes to achieving the perfect blend of personalities and performances for a night of musical theatre magic. With the strong voices and Black Rep veterans that usually keep the masses panting for more, this new production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ should been business as usual.
But something funny happened on the way to the Grandel.
On Friday night, the inaugural mainstage production of “Season 30: The Black Pearl” just doesn’t have that wow factor. The cast may have been completely thrown off by the persistent sound and lighting problems that plagued the majority of the show. Whatever the reason, based on the Black Rep’s reputation, the production should have been stronger.
A thetarical showcase of the song styling of Thomas “Fats” Waller, Ain’t Misbehavin’ features the fun-loving and in some cases downright hilarious music that made him famous, filled with singing, dancing, humor and Waller’s ingenious piano riffs.
The cast includes J. Samuel Davis, Anita Jackson, Teressa Renee’ Williams, Drummond Crenshaw and Julia Nixon. All of these performers are talented, but Friday night’s production seemed forced and the energy was just not there. There was a lack of chemistry among the cast, and every now and again the vocals went awry. Instead of reaching out and sucking the crowd into their show, it felt as if the cast was just trying to make it through the songs. The mostly tame feedback from the crowd made it obvious that the audience was on to them.
Anita Jackson was the strongest among the female players. Her vocal range is jaw-dropping, and even in this production she manages to go from first soprano to second tenor on command. Black Rep veterans Davis and Crenshaw held their own, as usual. There was a flip-flop in staging some of the songs, and there were more than a few disappointed people expecting to hear Davis’ sultry version of “Honeysuckle Rose.”
Even with its shortcomings, there were high points on the performance and production side of Ain’t Misbehavin’, first and foremost being the set. Scenic Designer Regina Garcia has beautifully recreated the Harlem speakeasies of the 1920’s and 30’s. The choreography (especially Williams’ tap dance sequence) was interesting, and Musical Director Charles Creath nailed Waller’s trademark Stride Rite piano.
Once the cast gets into the groove of performing in front of an actual crowd, they should iron out the kinks, and let’s hope the technical difficulties were a fluke. As with any group of seasoned performers, these players should feel their way through each other’s highs and lows and give the audiences something to smile about before the end of the run on Feb. 4.
The Black Rep’s production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ continues through Sunday, February 4th at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. Call (314) 534-3810.
